ORLANDO, FLA. — Turkish compounder Maskom Masterbatch and Compound Technologies is investing $8 million in a new factory, its fourth, to expand its capacity for color masterbatches and make a bigger push into global markets.

The Gebze, Turkey-based company, which claims to be the country's largest plastics compounder, said at NPE in Orlando that the new factory will boost its color masterbatch capacity from 880,000 pounds per month to 2.2 million pounds a month.

“For the last three years we have focused on global markets,” said Sertan Aker, global sales and marketing director.

The company hopes to grow exports from 50 percent of sales now to 65 percent next year, although he declined to specify which countries Maskom will focus on.

“Competitors would follow us,” he said. “In Turkey the domestic competition is very high, many suppliers are dropping margins.”

The new facility, which will be completed in 12 months, will have 17 extrusion lines from German supplier KraussMaffei, Aker said.

Maskom said the company also has monthly capacity of 11 million pounds of white masterbatch materials, 880,000 pounds of black masterbatch and 11 million pounds of general compounds using calcium carbonate, talc and glass fiber.

Aker said the company is technology-based and has 200 employees in its plastics division.

He said its calcium carbonate compounding technology in particular is very competitive globally, allowing the material to be used 75 percent as filler in plastics without sacrificing performance, compared with 40 percent that he said is more commonly used in the industry.

Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

Please enter a valid email address.

Please enter your email address.

Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

1155 Gratiot Avenue Detroit MI 48207-2997